Combined sweeper and brusher



Fb.1o,1942. J. 1 Aw-f 2,272,983

COMBINED SWEEPER AND BRUSHER Filed July 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Shee'rI lFeb.1o,1942'.' J PAYNE 2,272,983

COMBINED SWEEPER AND BRUSHER Patented Feb. 10, 1942 COlVIBINED SWEEPERAND BRUSHER John L. Payne, Covington, Ga., assigner of fortyninehundredths to Arthur A. Cannon, Covington, Ga.

Application July 10, 1941, Serial No. 401,815

13 Claims.

This invention relates to a combined sweeper and brusher, that is amachine or apparatus for sweeping a horizontal surface such as a floor,simultaneously with a vertical surface or surfaces, such as walls orsides of machines and the like. One use for which the invention isparticularly adapted is for cleaning floors and the rails in a spinningroom of a cotton mill.

In connection with spinning frames in cotton mills, considerable lintand fibres collect on the rails and oors and thus this invention hasbeen devised to quickly and eiciently clean and remove all foreignmaterial from the rails of such spinning frames and the adjacent floors,particularly between two adjacent frames.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a machine withcleaning means which will simultaneously clean and brush a' floor aisleand the sides or rails of two adjacent machines.

A further object resides in providing means for quickly adjusting thewidth of the machine as well as to provide means for rotating thevertical brushes for cleaning the rails 'of the spinning frames. A stillfurther object of the invention is to so pivot 'the frame parts of themachine whereby the brushing device can be narrowed by a simple movementof the lhandles of the machine to clear objects or persons in the aisleto be cleaned such as a person who may v be tending a spinning frameduring its operation.

Other aims and objects of the invention will appear in the followingdescription, when considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an `end elevation of the combined sweeper and brusher;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sweeper and brusher in a narrowed positionof the parts;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the sweeper and brusher in its operativeposition for sweeping to sides and floor; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the combined sweeper and brusher.

The machine according to the invention is adapted to be operatedmanually by means of two handle members or Shanks 5 each having a 'gripportion 6 fashioned similar to a plow handle. Each shank is securelyconnected at 1 to a respective brush holding frame 8 by a suitable b'aror connecting member 9. A connecting link or'bar I0 is secured to eachshank 5 at Il at one end and the other end to its respective brushiframe 8 at '41,

Each brush holding frame L8,

bar I0 an-d shank 5 thus forms a rigid triangular brush support andguide member with the handle 6.

In order to sweep the oor l2, a brush unit lI3 is provided consisting ofa pair of brushes I4 hinged to each other at I5. Each brush i4 is ofsuitable width and is provided with a plurality of bristles l2 in suchclustered relationship as may be desired. The brush unit I3 is supportedyand suspended by pairs of rods or bars I6 and H or if desired, wires orcables may be employed. These bars I6 and I1 are connected to theirrespective parts, that is the shanks 5 and the brushes I4, by means ofhooks I8 so that if desired, the brushes .may be removed for cleaningand other purposes.

Each brush holding frame 8 is pivoted at I9 to a main frame 20 at theupper and lower ends thereof. Also, each frame 8 is provided with a pairof outwardly extending arms 2| in which a cylindrical brush 22 isrotatably mounted on a vertical aXis parallel to the axis of rotation ofthe frame 8. Each brush 22 is mounted on an axle 23, Fig. l, and lbymeans of a pair of bevel gears 24 rotated by means of a driving shaft 25driven by a drive wheel 26 which latter also `acts to support themachine on the horizontal surface or floor l2. Each brush drivingmechanism is covered over the top and sides by a U-shaped sheet metalhood 21 as a protecting guard. The shaft or spindle 25 is mounted in abearing member 28 supported on a depending ange 29 integral with, or ifdesired, secured to the frame 8, Fig. 1. Each wheel 26 may be providedwith a rubber tire or it may be provided with a plain metal tread withor without teeth or indentations, as may be desired..

Each main frame member 20 has a plurality of tubes 30 and rods 3|secured thereto projecting toward each other so that each tube and rodwill form a telescoping unit 32, there being a pair of such units 32 ateach end of lthe frame member 20 as shown, but a single unit at the topand bottom will serve the purpose of adjustment and rigidity. Centrallyof the ends of the frames 20, a lateral adjusting device 3'3 is providedconsisting of a threaded spindle 34 secured to the tubular member 35 andslidable in the tubular member 36 so that upon rotation of the crankhandle 31 through a pair of bevel gears and nut, not shown, the tubularmembers 35 and 36 may be adjusted toward and away from each other bymeans of the spindle 34 to thereby adjust the width of the lateraldistance between the vertical brushes 22 to fit against theobjectsrelation,

or parts of the machines 38 to be brushed. Itis obvious that a rotationof the crank handle 31 will cause relative movement between the rods 3Iand tubular members 30, that is the telescoping units 32, to adjust thewidth of the machine, the hinge I5 permitting an adjustment of thebrushes I4 simultaneously by changing the angular relation of thebrushes I4 relative to each other. It is of course obvious that theadjusting device operates similar to a well known lifting jack.

Each frame 8 is provided with a suitable comb 4D, Fig. 1, which contactsthe periphery of its respective brush 22 to remove lint and other fibrestherefrom upon rotation of the brush.

The machine operates as follows: Assuming that the machine is to be usedto clean and brush the horizontal surface or floor I2 and Vertical sidewalls or the rails or parts of machines 38, in other words along anaisle between two machines as for instance cotton spinning frames,theoperator rst adjusts the width of the machine, Fig. 1, so that eachbrush 22 will contact by its peripheral cylindrical surface the sides orrails of the spinning frames. In such lateral adjustment of the machine,the operator lifts the Shanks 5 by means of handles 6, to the positionshown in Fig. 4, and by pushing on the Shanks the rotation of the wheels26 will cause rotation of the brushes 22 against theV sides or rails ofthe spinning frames while simultaneously the brushes I4 will sweep andbrush the oor. Obviously, the machine may be pushed or pulled, but itwill operate more efciently when pushed, that is when moved in thedirection of the arrow in Fig. 4. When the machine must pass a person orobject 39, Fig. 2, the operator merely pulls on the shank 5 nearest theobject or pushes on the shank farthest from the object which will causea parallelogram motion between the Shanks 5, brushes I4 and frames 20with its telescoping units 32 around the vertical pivot axes I9 withoutthe slightest diiiiculty, whereby the Width of the machine will benarrowed.

.After the object 39 has been passed it is a simple operation to againbring the parts back to the position of Figs. 3 and 4 which is thenormal operating position of the machine when sweeping both sides of twomachines.

Many different; applications of the machine will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art, not only in cleaning and brushing the rails ofspinning frames, but also for other machines.

Therefore, the present invention is not restricted to the particularmachine shown and described. Moreover, it is not indispensable that allthe features of the machine be used conjointly, since they may beemployed advantageously in various combinations and sub-combinations.Furthermore, the machine is capable of many variations without departingfrom the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A brushing and sweeping machine comprising a pair of frame members,means for adjustably maintaining the frame members in spaced a brushholding frame pivotally mounted on each frame member on a vertical axis,a cylindrical brush rotatably mounted on a vertical axis in each brushholding frame, a traction and supporting wheel for each brush holdingframe, and means for rotating each brush from its respective tractionwheel to clean vertical surfaces.

2. A brushing and sweeping machine according to claim 1, in which ahandle shank is provided for each brush holding frame to manually movethe machine on a horizontal surface on its traction wheels, and in whicha brush unit is suspended from the Shanks to sweep a horizontal surface.

3. A brushing and sweeping machine comprising a pair of spaced verticalframe members, telescoping units interconnected to said spaced framemembers, means secured to said frame members to adjust the space betweenthe frame members, a second frame member rotatably mounted on eachspaced frame member on a vertical axis, a brush rotatably mounted ineach second frame member, a traction wheel for each second frame memberfor supporting the machine, and means for rotating each brush by itsrespective traction wheel upon the rotation of the latter.

4. A brushing and sweeping machine comprising a pair of spaced verticalframe members, telescoping units interconnected to said spaced framemembers, means secured to said frame members to adjust the space betweenthe frame members, a second frame member rotatably mounted on eachspaced frame member on a vertical axis, a brush rotatably mounted ineach second frame member, a traction wheel for each second frame memberfor supporting the machine, means for rotating each brush by itsrespective traction wheel upon the rotation of the latter, and meanssecured to each second frame member to manually move the machine bymeans of the traction Wheels.

5. A brushing and `sweeping machine comprising a pair of spaced verticalframe members, telescoping units interconnected to said spaced framemembers, means secured to said frame members to adjust the space betweenthe frame members, a second frame member rotatably mounted on eachspaced frame member on a vertical axis, a brush rotatably mounted ineach second frame member, a traction wheel for each second frame memberfor supporting the machine, means for rotating each brush by itsrespective traction wheel upon the rotation of the latter, and a shankSecured to each second frame member to manually move the machine bymeans of the traction wheels.

6. A brushing and sweeping machine comprising a pair of spaced verticalframe members, telescoping units interconnected to said spaced framemembers, means secured to said frame members to adjust the space betweenthe frame members, a second frame 'member rotatably mounted on eachspaced frame member on a vertical axis, a brush rotatably mounted ineach second frame member, a traction wheel for each second frame memberfor supporting the machine, means for rotating each brush by itsrespective traction wheel upon the rotation of the latter, a shanksecured to each second frame member to manually move the machine bymeans of the traction wheels, and a non-rotary brush suspended from theshanks to sweep the surface on which the machine is manually moved.

7. A brushing and sweeping machine comprising a frame member, means forsupporting a pair of rotatable brushes on vertical axes and in spacedYrelation to clean two Vertical surfaces, means mounted in the frame torotate the brushes and to provide traction means for the brushes, 'apair of shanks secured to the frame member each near one of the brushes,a second brush unit suspended from the shanks, and means forarticulating the frame member to narrow the width of the machine bymanually forcing one of the shanks ahead of the other and to maintainthe brush rotating means in parallel relationship relative to eachother.

8. A brushing and sweeping machine compris- I ing a frame member, meansfor supporting a pair of brushes on vertical axes and in spaced relationto clean two vertical surfaces, a pair of shanks secured to the framemember each near one of the brushes, a second brush unit suspended fromthe shanks, said frame, shanks and brush unit forming a parallelogramwhen viewed in plan, and an additional frame means for each of the pairof brushes to form a rotating axis adjacent each of the pair of brusheswhereby the machine may be narrowed by a parallelogram motion bymanually moving one shank ahead of the other.

9. A brushing and sweeping machine comprising a pair of spaced verticalframe members, telescoping units interconnected to said spaced framemembers, means secured to said frame members to adjust the space betweenthe frame members, a second frame member rotatably mounted on eachspaced frame member on a vertical axis, a brush rotatably mounted ineach second frame member, a traction wheel for each second frame memberfor supporting the machine, means for rotating each brush by itsrespective traction wheel upon the rotation of the latter, a shanksecured to each second frame member to manually move the machine bymeans of the traction wheels, and a non-rotary brush suspended from theshanks to sweep the surface on which the machine is manually moved, saidnon-rotary brush having means including a plurality of bars to removablysuspend said non-rotary brush and to pull it along when the machine ismoved.

10. A brushing and sweeping machine comprising a pair of spaced verticalframe members, telescoping units interconnected to said spaced framemembers, means secured to said frame members to adjust the space betweenthe frame members, a second frame member rotatably mountd on each spacedframe member on a vertical axis, a brush rotatably mounted in eachsecond frame member, a traction wheel for each second frame member forsupporting the machine, and means for rotating each brush by itsrespective traction Wheel upon the rotation of the latter, eachtelescoping unit consisting of a tube secured at one end to one of thespaced frame members and a rod secured at one end to the other of thespaced frame members with the rod projecting into and movable relativeto the tube upon adjustment of the spaced frame members.

11. A brushing and sweeping machine comprising a frame, means foradjusting the width of said frame, an auxiliary frame rotatably securedto each side of the frame to rotate on a vertical axis, a brushrotatably mounted in each auxiliary frame, a bearing member secured toveach auxiliary frame, a traction wheel for each auxiliary frame, a pairof axles for each brush of which one is mounted in the brush and theother in the bearings and its respective traction wheel, and means fortransferring the rotary motion from the wheel axle to the brush axle.

12. A brushing and sweeping jmachine comprising a frame havingaplurality of telescoping members', means for adjusting the width of saidframe, an auxiliary frame rotatably secured to each side of the frame torotate on a vertical axis, a brush rotatably mounted in each auxiliaryframe, a bearing member secured to each auxiliary frame, a tractionwheel for each auxiliary frame, a pair of axles for each brush of whichone is mounted in the brush and the other in the bearing and itsrespective traction wheel, and means for transferring the rotary motionfrom the wheel axle to the brush axle.

13. A brushing and sweeping machine comprising a pair of spaced verticalframe members, telescoping units interconnected to said spaced framemembers, means secured to said frame members to adjust the space betweenthe frame members, a second frame member rotatably mounted on eachspaced frame member on a vertical axis, a brush rotatably mounted ineach second frame member, a wheel carried by each second frame memberfor supporting the machine, means for rotating each brush from itsrespective Wheel, and means secured to each second frame member tomanually move the machine by means of the wheels and to maintain thesecond frame members in parallel relationship relative to each other.

JOHN L. PAYNE.

